Nov. 21 (UPI) — The Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said it recalled 167,000 pounds of ground beef due to concerns about possible E. coli contamination.
After Minnesota agriculture officials detected a link between a group of people reporting illnesses and ground beef from Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co., FSIS worked with Michigan food officials to determine the cause, the agency said in a statement released Wednesday.
At least 15 people have reported becoming ill after eating ground beef from the establishment, which has a use-by date in November and is marked “EST. 2574B” inside the USDA inspection mark.
FSIS has released a list of all products covered by the recall along with images of the packaging.
The recall covers more than 100 fresh and frozen raw ground beef products sold under brands including 1855 Beef, Davis Creek Meals, Farmer’s Choice, Heritage Restaurant Brands and Cheney Brothers, Inc., in addition to Wolverine Packing Co.
The meat has been shipped to grocers and restaurants across the country, and FSIS is concerned that some products may be stored in refrigerators and freezers. It advises establishments to “not serve these products” and urges consumers to “prepare their raw meat products safely,” reminding people to cook all beef products to 160 degrees Fahrenheit to properly kill bacteria, including including any potential E. coli.
In October, some McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers were linked to the same strain of E. coli. coli, O157:H7, which was recalled on Thursday.
Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include dehydration, bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They usually appear within two to eight days after ingesting contaminated food.
